There is no way this is just contact person. Being myself a CRA (Clinical Research Associate) I can say that it very much has a legal meaning in a clinical trial actually . The "contract" between a pharma company and the hospital is being called also "convention hospitalière" and this person (physician) is more likely being called "clinical investigator" on this investigation center (hospital) .
The principal investigator gathers the results, makes sure the clinical investigators are not falling behind the clinical trial schedule, and usually signs the "paper".
You get it all described in here:
http://www.research.drexel.edu/administration/Proposal_Submi...
The translation workplace 
